The Dogs by Allan Stratton

Cameron is tired of running.  His mom moves him from one house to another, all miles away from each other, to keep them away from his dad.  He didn't think his dad was that bad, but his mother is still scared to death of him.  Cameron's dad says one thing, his mother another.  Who's telling the truth?

Sourcebooks Fire and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 1st, so check for a copy then.

This is a scary story.  There's a ghost, a story from the past, evidence in the locked coal room in the basement, and howling dogs at night.  Cameron is already having trouble with reality, this just makes it worse.  His mother hears none of it.  When he tries to explain, she thinks he's losing his mind.  When he loses his temper and acts out, she thinks he's turning into his father...

With only some clues from the ghost and a few newspaper story, Cameron tries to find out what had happened to the house and the people in the past.

This is a tantalizing tale of a ghost that means well and is looking for peace and a young man caught between his parents.  He persists in solving this long forgotten mystery.  It's hard and unpleasant, but he continues digging.  Before the end of the story he knows what happened there and he knows which of his parents he should believe.  The story was a bit sad, but it was intriguing and it ends well.  Cameron does a good job despite the odds.